This Saturday, February 22, one of the first phases will be implemented for the modernization of computer systems in the customs service, after at the beginning of the month a generalized problem was reported, which slow the transmission of the statements for both imports and exports .
The modernization process had been working since 2021 and although the pilot program was developed in the air express air, it is the sea customs that manage the greatest volume of load in the tax administrator.
The ports and terminals operate as a temporary customs deposit (DAT); It means that the goods can enter without paying taxes or an internment – but they must pay them when they leave the enclosure – as well as temporarily stored waiting for a final statement, but they are under shelter.
Program will be replicated in other customs
Edwin Orlando Curther Juárez, mayor of Customs, explained that the first phase is for imports and then to exports to achieve the office once they are implemented; This model would be replicating in the other sea customs from the virtual agency.
In this first phase, said the official has to do with the load manifesto (declaration) as well as the activities prior to importation such as correction letters or requests for previous exams to be able to do the inspections of the loads.
These are activities prior to the loading office that are prior when they reach import or hospitalization, but that have to be managed before.
He cited as an example, that if there is any error in the states, the correction requests must be made to be able to make these extensions in the document or make a correct declaration of the load, that the regulations allow it when there are doubts about the merchandise shipped .
“All these previous activities are those that can now be carried out electronically before the office, which is known as load management,” said the mayor.
Details of pRot
The Customs Administration schedule suggests that by 2026 the maritime office will be concluded in all customs, but the customs pilot will be Puerto Barrios in the implementation of the systems.
“Once it is implemented, all adjustments and verification are made, it begins to be replicated in the other customs,” he said.
The investment of the program, which is an internal or proper development of the Customs Administration, is about Q21 million, and around 130 developers and technicians participate.
Normal system
The mayor confirmed that the computer system of the customs service is operating normal, after making some adjustments and in the following days two other improvements would be applied.
The system for the statements registered problems of slowness that were reported by the auxiliaries of the public service on Sunday, February 2, but it was Monday 3 when it was generalized to make statements of foreign trade in the customs Port Company Quetzal (EPQ) in Escuintla and in the National Port Company Santo Tomás de Castilla (Empornac) in Izabal.
The auxiliaries of the public service have reported that the systems are much faster in this week, but usually tend to present problems during the last days of each month when the liquidations are made in foreign trade.
More than 80% of the export and import loads that are made in Guatemala is in maritime transport.